Extreme Sports: How high can we go?
Mr Felix Baumgartner is off parachuting again. Although, for Felix at least, skydiving is not enough: he’s jumping from space.
Yes, from space. The 40-year-old former Austrian special forces soldier is readying to leap from 120,000ft (23 miles). His attempt, if successful, will usurp the current record, set back in 1969 when US Air Force jumper Joseph Kittinger Jnr dropped in from 102,800ft.
Just what is it with us humans? Higher, faster, longer, further, deeper, fatter – skip the last one – we just have to keep pushing it.
But surely there has to be a limit to what we can achieve? Take away the technology and we are simply bone, muscle, tissue, and fat. Physiologically we are limited. But despite our physical constraints, we humans keep on developing and records keep falling.
Before he jumps, Felix will be in the upper edges of the stratosphere; to put the altitude into perspective, Mount Everest is 6km high, Felix is jumping from 36.8km.
Falling through the ozone layer, he could hit 768mph. If he does there will be a lot of noise about it – he will be breaking the sound barrier: Boom!
Aware of the dangers, Baumgartner told The Times: “The edge of space is an incredibly hostile environment which takes no prisoners.”
However, according to NASA, the atmosphere doesn’t end until around 122km, so we still have some way to go; there are still the mesosphere and the thermosphere to jump through yet.
And if you think we won’t do it, think again: We always do it!
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7 Comments to “Extreme Sports: How high can we go?”
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Mark Pawlak
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So do we have any Physics boffins out there that can tell me why he can’t jump from any higher than this? Is it as high as the balloon will take him, the fact that it’s high enough to beat the current record or the fact that it’s just not possible for the human body to take more than this?
Just had this conversation, we think it’s because of gravity. After all, if he keeps on going higher, at some point he will be in orbit. He will then jump and be very disappointed – he will just stay where he is!
Is it because it would not be cool for the sport to be seen jumping with what can only be discribed as a gaint ewok fit (eskimo threads). Probably wouldnt be very aero-dynamic either.
Well all I can say is I’m glad we have registered http://www.adventurespaceholidays.com – we are ready when you are Messers Baumgartner and Branson.
What I find amazing about this whole story is that the existing record has lasted so long – 41 years. 1969 – the same year that we went to the Moon. But then I guess we haven’t been back there either! Maybe that’s next on Felix’s list.
The new attempt is sponsored by the syrupy goodness that ‘gives you wings’. Could be really handy at 123,000ft, Although, I don’t think he’ll be needing to stay awake – the jumping out of the balloon should have this covered. I reckon he will also be sporting some more bespoke threads as well. Space chic, we like.
I guess the first obstacle to cross would be down to his suit…..due to the very nature of the atmosphere so high up. Things tend to burn up when travelling through the atmosphere at terrific speeds, so unless he has some super anti-friction streamlined threads then i guess man will never get to that 122km true edge of space and take a plummet in nothing but the Hi-tech shirt on his back!
On the other hand, does re-entry in a space capsule not count? Its kind of like a tandem jump, but wearing a metal box rather than a suit! We have been doing that for decades!!!
I think the height is determined by how high the hot air balloon can take him.
This is because lift in a hot air balloon is created by heating air to make it expand which makes it lighter than the surrounding air. As the atmosphere that high is so thin there will come a point where the heated air will be the same density as the atmosphere and it will not be able to go any higher.